Folic acid is also used for other conditions commonly associated with folate deficiency, including:

• Ulcerative colitis
• Liver disease
• Alcoholism
• Kidney dialysis.

Women who are pregnant or might become pregnant take folic acid to prevent miscarriage and neural tube defects;

• Birth defects such as spina bifida that occur when the fetus's spine and back do not close during development.
• Some people use folic acid to prevent colon cancer or cervical cancer.
• It is also used to prevent heart disease and stroke, as well as to reduce blood levels of a chemical called homocysteine.

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